Good news, Marco Zandron has received Spanish citizenship in time for the Olympics!
Links to a lovely supportive message from the Spanish fed.
Links to a lovely supportive message from the Spanish fed.
Pairs FS Worldwide: The Divine Discipline
- Thread starter BlissfulSynergy
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2012
Wonderful! This is excellent news. I'll pass it through in the fanfest.
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- Joined
- Jan 31, 2019
Okay, guys, this Olympic Twitter exchange has to be shared.
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2014
Things like this make me feel a whole lot smarter lol.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
So, taking a deep breath, hopefully things will settle down and then rev up again in a more exciting way for pairs in the coming seasons. I am looking forward to Worlds, and seeing who will go and who may be planning to retire. There's a lot to digest.
Elena Bechke recapped Olympic pairs singles event on TSL. She rambled way too much, but her comments about the rules preventing pairs from being more creative is one we've heard so often. Someone needs to advocate for allowing more freedom in the fp for pairs (and for all disciplines for that matter). Here are some of my post Olympic pairs reflections I thought are more appropriate for this thread:
Although I'm not pinning my hopes on it, American teams have a chance to gain three spots at Worlds (especially with the expected retirement of Sui/Han -- though I don't know whether it has been decided if S/H will show up for Worlds, or call it a career). I want to be happily surprised, but not dwell too much on U.S. pairs gaining three spots and fighting for podium positions at some point in the near future, after so many years!!! I just hope the U.S. teams who go to France in March, show up rested, ready and joyful (as K/F and C-G/LD were able to do at the Olympics). There's no indication so far, whether Alexa/Brandon are retiring. Perhaps they will stick around for at least one more season. We'll see. Calalang/Johnson of the U.S., must fix their sbs jumps posthaste, to match their top-level talent. I hope Liu/O'Shea will be healthy enough and interested enough in making a competitive return to the ice.
It will be interesting to see how and if Peng/Jin of China will step up to the challenge of matching the top Russian teams competitively. I'm not certain they will. Pavliuchenko/Khodykin, and a plethora of other young Russian teams are rarin' at the bit to make their mark on the senior pairs competitive scene. The Japanese team and the American teams are also highly competitive with Peng/Jin, and for that matter, with some of the Russian teams too. What remains to be seen is whether China will manage to develop anymore truly competitive pairs teams in the short term. As well, will Japan be able to develop additional pairs teams with the chops that M/K have?
In the developing sphere, there is the Spanish team of Barquero/Zandron (with Zandron being Italian, which helps them politically). They need to gain more speed, power, polish and experience. I just see the news about Barquero in the separate thread. That's too bad. I guess we'll hear more. It will surely slow their development, if she has to undergo a suspension. I'm not impressed with the current young Italian teams. They are fun to watch, but they are not highly competitive. Of course, I heard that veteran. Nicole Della Monica is retiring, but Matteo Guarise is looking for a new partner. I really hope he finds someone special (perhaps someone from Russia), because I think he has a lot more to offer figure skating with the right partner.
Another big question mark is the Canadian pairs discipline. Kirsten/Michael have said they are retiring. It will be interesting to see if they attend Worlds. I think J/R will go to Worlds. I also really believe that Trennt Michaud should make a strong effort to find a better matched partner. I don't think with Evelyn Walsh that they will be able to raise their level as high as they need to. And Evelyn too might benefit from pairing with a taller partner. Deanna/Maxime have wonderful skills and a lot of promise, which I hope they can realize. For sure, McIntosh/Mimar are the team of the future for Canada. I can see them developing a rivalry with Lu/Mitrofanov of the U.S., and both seem to have the talent to challenge up-and-coming younger Russian teams.
Elena Bechke recapped Olympic pairs singles event on TSL. She rambled way too much, but her comments about the rules preventing pairs from being more creative is one we've heard so often. Someone needs to advocate for allowing more freedom in the fp for pairs (and for all disciplines for that matter). Here are some of my post Olympic pairs reflections I thought are more appropriate for this thread:
Although I'm not pinning my hopes on it, American teams have a chance to gain three spots at Worlds (especially with the expected retirement of Sui/Han -- though I don't know whether it has been decided if S/H will show up for Worlds, or call it a career). I want to be happily surprised, but not dwell too much on U.S. pairs gaining three spots and fighting for podium positions at some point in the near future, after so many years!!! I just hope the U.S. teams who go to France in March, show up rested, ready and joyful (as K/F and C-G/LD were able to do at the Olympics). There's no indication so far, whether Alexa/Brandon are retiring. Perhaps they will stick around for at least one more season. We'll see. Calalang/Johnson of the U.S., must fix their sbs jumps posthaste, to match their top-level talent. I hope Liu/O'Shea will be healthy enough and interested enough in making a competitive return to the ice.
It will be interesting to see how and if Peng/Jin of China will step up to the challenge of matching the top Russian teams competitively. I'm not certain they will. Pavliuchenko/Khodykin, and a plethora of other young Russian teams are rarin' at the bit to make their mark on the senior pairs competitive scene. The Japanese team and the American teams are also highly competitive with Peng/Jin, and for that matter, with some of the Russian teams too. What remains to be seen is whether China will manage to develop anymore truly competitive pairs teams in the short term. As well, will Japan be able to develop additional pairs teams with the chops that M/K have?
In the developing sphere, there is the Spanish team of Barquero/Zandron (with Zandron being Italian, which helps them politically). They need to gain more speed, power, polish and experience. I just see the news about Barquero in the separate thread. That's too bad. I guess we'll hear more. It will surely slow their development, if she has to undergo a suspension. I'm not impressed with the current young Italian teams. They are fun to watch, but they are not highly competitive. Of course, I heard that veteran. Nicole Della Monica is retiring, but Matteo Guarise is looking for a new partner. I really hope he finds someone special (perhaps someone from Russia), because I think he has a lot more to offer figure skating with the right partner.
Another big question mark is the Canadian pairs discipline. Kirsten/Michael have said they are retiring. It will be interesting to see if they attend Worlds. I think J/R will go to Worlds. I also really believe that Trennt Michaud should make a strong effort to find a better matched partner. I don't think with Evelyn Walsh that they will be able to raise their level as high as they need to. And Evelyn too might benefit from pairing with a taller partner. Deanna/Maxime have wonderful skills and a lot of promise, which I hope they can realize. For sure, McIntosh/Mimar are the team of the future for Canada. I can see them developing a rivalry with Lu/Mitrofanov of the U.S., and both seem to have the talent to challenge up-and-coming younger Russian teams.
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- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
The below post is not a confirmation, but apparently it is a contemplation posed as a question to fans, or to each other?
I say YES!!!!
Plus, Adam Rippon's mother, Kelly hosts Instagram live conversations about figure skating! Below is a conversation Kelly had with Meagan Duhamel about the Olympic pairs competition: Check out Kelly's Instagram for more interviews...
I say YES!!!!
Plus, Adam Rippon's mother, Kelly hosts Instagram live conversations about figure skating! Below is a conversation Kelly had with Meagan Duhamel about the Olympic pairs competition: Check out Kelly's Instagram for more interviews...
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
all of the comments are a hoot but this one killed me: "...when did girl throwing become an Olympic event?"
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
^^ Seriously, it just shows an ongoing and extensive ignorance about figure skating, which in the long run, is not that funny because we, as diehard fans, end up being dismissed and vastly underserved with comprehensive, straightforward and responsible coverage of our favorite sport.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
So, the Russian and Chinese pairs skaters will not be competing at Worlds, which will make things fascinating competitively. If the pairs who placed 5,6,7 at the Olympics move up (Correction: 6, 7, 8), it would be Knierim/Frazier, Miura/Kihara, and Cain-Gribble/LeDuc in podium position. I'm sure the Georgian pairs, Canadian pairs, and the Spanish team will want to make a serious push as well. It should be interesting.
Are Moore-Towers/Marinaro definitely retiring, or are they planning to attend Worlds?
Are Moore-Towers/Marinaro definitely retiring, or are they planning to attend Worlds?
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- Joined
- Dec 1, 2015
Georgia has only one spot; without Barquero/Zandron Spain will hardly make any serious push.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Thanks. I forgot that Barquero is facing suspension.
Also, thanks @ladyjane. I did mean 6, 7, and 8 positions might move up. Peng/Jin were in fifth of course.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
So, I see that the Worlds pairs entries have been posted here under 2022 Worlds section. Metelkina/Parkman of GEO get to compete over Safina/Berulava who went to the Olympics and placed 9th. With the Chinese and Russian teams not competing, it will be interesting to see how Metelkina/Parkman might fare at their first senior Worlds. The field is very reduced. Only 18 teams.
If Knierim/Frazier can actually manage to win Worlds, then they may decide to retire, which makes sense. Miura/Kihara will be hot on their heels. And Ashley/Timothy can give both teams a run for the medals. It will also be interesting to see how well James/Radford can perform.
If Knierim/Frazier can actually manage to win Worlds, then they may decide to retire, which makes sense. Miura/Kihara will be hot on their heels. And Ashley/Timothy can give both teams a run for the medals. It will also be interesting to see how well James/Radford can perform.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2015
Interestingly, it's Safina/Berulava(substitute) that are already pretty close to France now(in Italy, that is) with some other team Georgia members.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Yes, I was saying that M/P get to go to Worlds, whereas S/B got the Olympics. Worlds entries are already up, and M/P are listed. With some top teams not competing, M/P have a chance of placing much higher at Worlds than S/B did at the Olympics. But 9th at the Olympics is excellent for a young team new to seniors.
Metelkina/Parkman went to Worlds last year, but did not manage to place high enough to get that Olympic spot for Georgia. This year I'm sure they'll place in top 10 easily.
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